Poopy Bum Bun

Question
Hi,

I am at my wits ends. I have 2 precious bunnies and one of them, the long hair lop has always had poop issues and I can't seem to help him. He is 7 months old, gets a co binational diet of Blue Seal pellets, fresh greens (usually cilantro), whole wheat germs, and black sunflower seeds as a treat. I have tried every hay I can find in stores and on the Internet and he simply won't eat hay; that's why I've tried to supplement his diet with wheat and greens. He poops small regular poop, but also running poops at night and also sporadically mushy smelly poop that gets stuck in his hair and everywhere. He appears to be very happy, active and energetic; he runs around the house when I'm home and plays just like my other bunny. I just don't know what to do or how to help him. I've tried taking away everything but hay and he will still not eat it.  HELP!!!

Answer
Dear Cindy,

Your bunny appears to be suffering from chronic cecal dysbiosis, which is fully explained here:

www.bio.miami.edu/hare/poop.html

While some people mistakenly believe this is due to giving a bunny a diet too rich in fresh greens, this is almost never the problem.  However, it could have something to do with his, if bun is getting the wrong type of food.  Please check that here:

www.bio.miami.edu/hare/diet.html

The second most common cause of this problem is probably pain/stress from dental disorders, such as molar spurs or other dental problem.  Please read:

www.bio.miami.edu/hare/dental.html

You will need an experienced rabbit vet to help you, and you can find one via the Vet Referral Listings linked here:

www.rabbit.org/vets

The vet can also check for intestinal parasites (if possible, bring a very fresh sample of bunny poop with you in a clean ziplock bag), such as coccidia or roundworms. These are not particularly common in adult rabbits, but it never hurts to be sure.

In the meantime, you can safely clean bunny and keep him comfortable with the techniques described here:

www.bio.miami.edu/hare/buttbath.html

I hope this helps you get to the bottom of the problem and get it under control.

Dana